U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — The Virgin Islands Department of Health’s Epidemiology Division, this month, received national recognition at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), one of the nation’s premier public health conferences.
Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion congratulated the team on their achievements.
“I am extremely proud of the entire Epidemiology Team for representing the Virgin Islands so well on the national stage,” said Commissioner Encarnacion. “Their work have consistently helped us better understand and respond to public health challenges while ensuring that the people of the Virgin Islands benefit from the latest tools, data, and best practices in public health.”
Among the highlights of the conference was the recognition of Dr. Hannah Cranford, a VI Department of Health’s epidemiologist and data scientist, who received the highly competitive CSTE Rising Leader Award. Each year, the award is bestowed upon only one emerging public health professional who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and has impacted the field of epidemiology.
The recipient is chosen from a large pool of candidates from across the US and its territories. The Rising Leader Award recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves through service, scientific excellence, and contributions to public health practice.
Commissioner Encarnacion congratulated Dr. Cranford on a “well-deserved award that is a testament to her expertise and commitment to advancing public health in the Virgin Islands.”
Dr. Esther Ellis, the department’s Territorial Epidemiologist, added that, “This award reflects Dr. Cranford’s dedication to protecting and improving the health of Virgin Islanders through data-driven public health action. We are incredibly proud of her accomplishment and the outstanding work being done by our entire Epidemiology Division, the entire division came together to nominate her for his award.”
In addition to receiving national recognition, members of the Virgin Islands Epidemiology Team delivered seven oral presentations highlighting innovative surveillance systems, outbreak investigations, and public health modernization efforts underway in the territory.
Topics presented included:
- Evaluation of the U.S. Virgin Islands Pediatric Blood Lead Surveillance System
- Data modernization initiatives and public health informatics
- Automating data dashboards to improve timely and actionable disease surveillance
- Launch of the Virgin Islands’ modernized disease surveillance system
- Development of the USVI DataPulse Dashboard to monitor electronic laboratory reporting quality
- Investigation of Legionnaires’ disease cases linked to two Virgin Islands resorts in 2024
- Investigation of elevated adult blood lead levels associated with a Virgin Islands shooting range
Notably, the team’s presentation on Legionnaires’ Disease Linked to Two Resorts—United States Virgin Islands, October–December 2024 was selected by the conference planning committee for a featured breakout session, highlighting its significance and relevance to public health professionals nationwide.
The presentations delivered at CSTE are part of a broader transformation underway within the Virgin Islands Department of Health. Through continued investments in data modernization, disease surveillance, and health information systems, the Department has emerged as a recognized leader among territorial health agencies. Innovations such as the modernized disease surveillance system, the USVI DataPulse dashboard, and the nationally recognized Virgin Islands Immunization Registry System (VIIRS) are helping advance the Department’s mission to deliver timely, data-driven public health action and better protect the health of Virgin Islanders.
The conference also provided an opportunity for the Virgin Islands to showcase ongoing efforts to strengthen public health infrastructure through environmental health investigations and innovative use of technology to support rapid decision-making.
The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists represents epidemiologists working in state, local, tribal, and territorial health agencies across the United States and serves as a national leader in public health surveillance and applied epidemiology.